Ru-doped ZnO Nanoparticles for the Detection of Triethylamine

As an organic compound, it has significant application value. Triethylamine (TEA) is widely used in chemical, pharmaceutical, pesticide, dye, and other fields. However, its toxicity makes its impact on the environment and human health undeniable. Therefore, developing low-power, high response, ultraselectivity, and stability sensors for detecting this toxic gas is crucial for healthcare and environmental monitoring. In this work, we synthesized Ru-doped ZnO (Rux%ZnO) nanoparticles, which exhibited multiple enhanced sensing performance for TEA detection. Typically, the response value (Ra/Rg) of the Ru0.05%ZnO sensor to 50 ppm TEA at 260 °C is as high as 2907, which is nearly 15 times higher than pristine ZnO. In addition, compared with the ZnO sensor, the optimal operating temperature of the Ru0.05%ZnO sensor has also been reduced by 80 °C. Exceptionally, under the condition of a relative humidity of 85% (set at 25 °C), the Ra/Rg of the Ru0.05ZnO sensor to 10 ppm of TEA is still up to 126. Finally, the gas sensing mechanism of Rux%ZnO sensors to TEA was explored.